Gang Bang Beer Ad Denounced by Guinness

Posted by Melissa McEwan, Shakesville at 4:03 PM on August 15, 2008.

A bunch of Shakers have recently sent me the link to what appears to be an extremely misogynist Guinness advertisement (viewable here, if you are so inclined, until it's taken down, too). It's been circulated with the label "Banned Guinness Ad," among others, and has rightfully pissed off anyone with a modicum of respect for women who's seen it.

Thing is, the ad struck me as rather fishy, given that Guinness has generally been putting out more progressive and/or thoughtful advertising recently (like the evolution ad, viewable here, or the Rube Goldberg ad), so I had a look and, sure enough, the ad is a fake.

Now, here's where it gets interesting:

Diageo, which owns the Guinness label, got wind of the sham commercial and immediately left a comment in the YouTube thread denouncing and disassociating itself from it, petitioned YouTube to take it down, and released a statement to Brand Republic saying in no uncertain terms it wanted nothing to do with any viral campaign that relies on such irresponsible imagery.

Guinness is in no way associated with this video, and approached YouTube to have it removed. We are proud of our brands, and our commitment to responsible marketing, and this is not how we want our brand portrayed.

So there you go. It would have been easy, and expected, once Diageo put out a statement denying the authenticity of the ad to let it keep circulating nonetheless. But that's not the avenue they took. They not only have insisted that all copies be removed from YouTube; they used the opportunity to assert a commitment to responsible marketing.

If you're questioning how notable that really is, consider that tons of people saw a video of a woman being used as a drink holder while she's being gangbanged and thought it was a real beer ad.

Given the quality of the adverts that serve as the basis for this series, I'm not sure I would have been suspicious if it had been another beer brand. It was only because Diageo has made an effort not to use misogyny to sell Guinness that my antennae went up. That's how notable a commitment to responsible marketing really is.

Cheers, Diageo. I'm glad I had an opportunity to share some good news on a Friday. And your principles will pay off; we'll be drinking Guinness at Shakes Manor tonight.

Update: Youtube has complied to Diageo's request and taken down the offensive viral video.

Melissa McEwan writes and edits the blog Shakespeare's Sister.